MLB: Healthy Howard wants to go the distance

Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, left, stretches with teammates during at spring training Thursday in Clearwater, Fla. Howard has played 151 games over the last two seasons; he hopes to play more in 2014. (AP Photo)

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Ryan Howard let out a heavy exhale as he sat down for a press gathering Saturday, knowing that not many of the questions from the start of spring training a year ago were going to be different.

“Same stuff, another year.”

Questions remain about the veteran first baseman, his health, his ability to return to his glory days, of the Phillies’ hopes for finding their way to October baseball after regressing in 2012 and cratering in 2013.

Howard answered the questions honestly and willingly. But he knows that only real response is results.

“It’s what happens,” he said of the wavering faith that the 2006 National League MVP can rediscover his golden days. “When one thing doesn’t go right, all of a sudden it’s done, it’s over. When things don’t go the way they used to go it’s done, it’s over. I was watching the Winter Olympics and Shaun White didn’t win the halfpipe. Shaun White is done. The man had a bad run. That doesn’t mean he’s done.

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“We’ve had a bad couple years and had injuries and all that stuff, but I don’t think it’s over. People are entitled to their opinions and what not and that’s fine, but it’s up to us to go out there and show them otherwise and go out and play our game and do what we do.”

Howard has trimmed down and says that his legs finally feel as if they are in normal working condition for the first time since his Achilles’ tendon snapped 28 months ago. He had hopes entering last spring that his legs were ready for a full season, yet as spring training wound down his knee began to ache. By early July, Howard merely was waiting until other injured players returned so he could have his knee surgically repaired.

Even with Howard rusty in 2012 and physically limited in each of the last two years, the Phillies were a good team when he was in the starting lineup (77-63) and a complete disaster when he wasn’t (77-107). His intention this season is to not miss a game.

“I feel like I can play 162 games,” said Howard, who has three years and $85 million remaining on his contract. “My whole offseason was dedicated to trying to play all 162 games, plus trying to make it to the playoffs. My goal isn’t to come out here and try to play 120 games. That’s not why I play baseball. I come out to try to play 162 games and hopefully we make it into the playoffs and I’m playing however many more games it takes to try to win a World Series.”

Although he has only played in all 162 regular-season games once (2008), in his first six full seasons Howard averaged 153 games.

The Phillies would be thrilled if that were the number in 2014.

“I wouldn’t put a really solid number on that,” manager Ryne Sandberg said of the number of games he wants Howard to play, “but when you’re talking days off, you’re talking 140 games, 145 games, 150 games. The good thing about Ryan Howard is he likes to play every day. He likes to be out there. That’s a very good thing … He likes to play the schedule.”

Aside from being healthy enough to play the schedule, Howard has to be effective. After averaging 50 homers, 143 RBIs and a .967 OPS from 2006-09, in 2010-11 those yearly averages dipped to 32/112/.847.

While it might be foolish to believe Howard can put up the epic production numbers of his heyday, there is room in between the two sets of numbers. In Sandberg’s opinion, part of Howard’s success is on him, but there’s also a need for the players in front of him to get on base and create opportunities for him to produce.

“I’m not a guy who puts numbers on guys very often,” Sandberg said, “but when Ryan Howard is in shape … he produces RBIs. With a guy hitting in the fourth spot, that’s what you look for. With the lineup we’ll have, there’s the potential for three good base runners ahead of him, and the guys hitting behind him will be good protection.

“What I look for him to do is work on all parts of his game to get better on the offensive side, find his stroke and use his whole body with his stroke. It’ll allow him to hit and use the whole field. I also want him to get his work on the defensive side and be the best defensive player he can be. I think all of that will tie into each other.”

Sandberg did say he would not work Howard as hard as he was last spring, when he played in 14 straight games to open the Grapefruit League (including an intrasquad game and a WBC exhibition game). However, for there to be a situation where Howard is something other than the heart of the Phils’ lineup six days per week it would take a serious drop in his ability.

“In the perfect world he hits right-handers and is effective and does some damage against left-handed pitching,” Sandberg said. “(If) he does that and he handles some left-handed pitching adequately and does some damage, now when I give him a day off I get somebody else in there, that’s perfect for me.

“If there’s some constant struggles and I need to make a change, I mean that’s for the betterment of the team. But I want it the other way.”

Although the Phillies were hanging around in the N.L. East standings when Howard finally shut it down last season, the Phils had their worst team performance since he has been on the roster. He believes that was as bad as it could get for this collection of core players.

“For us, the guys on this team, yeah, we know we’re better than that,” Howard said. “We know we’re capable of a lot more. We have more expectations of ourselves this year for putting a better show on the field. … for the guys that were here last year and the guys that have been here, yeah, you can say that was rock bottom.”

And if Howard wants to avoid the same questions next spring, then his words Saturday need to be backed with results.

NOTES

After a lackluster opening session on the mound Thursday, Cuban pitcher Miguel Gonzalez threw with more pop on his fastball Saturday and also broke a handful of sharp curves. “He looked more fluid today,” pitching coach Bob McClure said. “He threw a little longer, playing long toss. He got a little looser. He looked better today.” ... The position players who have arrived in camp early delayed their batting practice for a while to watch the USA hockey team defeat Russia in a shootout in the qualifying round of the Sochi Olympics ... Still no formal announcement of the A.J. Burnett signing by the Phils, although word is it could come Sunday.